1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print processing method and a photographic printer for printing images of different aspect ratios, and also to a print stacking device and a print stacking method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printer processors are set up at DPE stores, which are so-called mini-labs. An exposure portion, in which images recorded on a negative film are exposed, and a processor portion, in which exposed photographic paper is subject to developing processing, are formed integrally in the printer processor. By simply setting the elongated photographic paper at the printer processor, the photographic paper can be automatically transported to and processed at the exposure portion and the processor portion.
Some printer processors are equipped with a printing function to print the number of prints on the rear surface of a print. The printing function prints the order of prints printed from one roll of negative film on the rear surface of the print. In this way, the total number of prints printed from one roll of negative film can be known by looking at the rear surface of the final print.
At DPE stores, the calculation or verification of the cost of the prints is sometimes effected by using the number printed on the final print of the roll of negative film.
In recent years, the number of customers enjoying variations in photographing size, such as high vision size, cinerama size, panorama size, and the like, has increased. Accordingly, cameras which can photograph images of high vision, cinerama, panorama, and other sizes have been proposed. Such a camera can, on the same photographic film, effect standard photographing and also photograph images such as high vision, cinerama, panorama and other size images which have different aspect ratios, i.e., the ratio of the length of the short side of the image surface to the length of the long side thereof, which is the reference. As shown in FIG. 4A, the images are exposed onto the negative film such that the lengths of the longitudinal directions thereof are constant whereas the lengths of the transverse directions are varied. Namely, standard, high vision, cinerama, and panorama size images are exposed onto the same negative film at different aspect ratios (in FIG. 4A, only three types of print sizes are illustrated).
Further, some printer processors can print portions of the images. In these printer processors, the portions of the images other than those for which printing is desired can be masked, and printing onto photographic paper is effected. In this way, prints of different aspect ratios can be obtained.
When these kinds of images recorded on negative film are printed onto photographic paper at the printer processor, the lengths in the transverse direction of image portions of the photographic paper are uniform. The lengths in the longitudinal direction are varied by changing the projection magnification and the masking of the photographic paper in accordance with the aspect ratio of each image. In this way, the print sizes are changed, and prints of various sizes, such as standard, high vision, cinerama, and panorama, can be obtained.
However, prints of different aspect ratios have different prices. It is therefore difficult to calculate or verify the cost of the prints from simply looking at the total number of prints printed on the rear surface of the final print.
When images recorded on film are printed onto paper and processed at a photographic processing apparatus such as a printer processor, the images are photometrically measured when they are positioned at the exposure position. The exposure conditions are determined based on the photometric values, and the positioned images are printed onto paper at the determined exposure conditions. Further, a cut mark for each print is applied to the paper. A sort mark is applied to the paper for each print corresponding to one order. After the paper on which the prints are printed undergoes developing, fixing, washing, and drying processing, the cut marks are detected, and the paper is cut into prints. The prints are then transported into a print stacking device (sorter). The sort marks are detected at the print stacking device, and each order of prints is stacked in the order in which the prints were transported thereto. After the prints are stacked by the print stacking device, the finish and the like of each print are inspected at an inspection process. Thereafter, the prints are compared with the film, are placed in a DP bag along with the film, and are shipped.
As described above, in recent years, prints having high aspect ratios, such as panorama size prints, have become quite popular. Cameras which exclusively photograph panorama size images, and cameras which can photograph panorama size images by a panorama photograph adaptor or the like being attached thereto are sold. In print processing, the proportion of processed prints having high aspect ratios has increased. Further, aspect ratios of images recorded on a film can be varied at the camera, and printing processing may be requested for a roll of film on which images of different aspect ratios are photographed.
However, the printer processors described above are constructed on the premise that only images of a single aspect ratio are recorded on a roll of film. In the above-mentioned print stacking devices as well, the transported prints are only stacked per order in the order in which the prints are transported to the print stacking device. Therefore, when prints having different aspect ratios are transported to the print stacking device, the prints are stacked such that prints of different aspect ratios are mixed. This results in poor manageability of the prints after they have been stacked. The images cannot be inspected efficiently at the inspection process. Further, it is difficult to compare the images with the film. Moreover, as the prints are not sorted per size, the arrangement thereof is unattractive, which does not give the customer a good impression.